New Report by EAT-Lancet Commission Suggests a Planetary Health Diet with 50% Reduced Intake of Sugar and Red Meat

The Lancet, one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world, has released a report which prescribes an ideal and healthy diet. The new dietary plan has taken into consideration all the factors of human body as well as meeting UN Conference on Climate Change goals for reducing carbon emissions.

The report has recommended a reduction in consumption of red meat and sugar by almost 50% along with increasing the intake of nuts, vegetables and fruits. The diet is healthy and environment-friendly causing minimum damage to the planet intended for a worldwide adoption.

The report was submitted by EAT-Lancet Commission, a non-profit and independent organization, which involved 18 co-authors, 19 scientists from 16 countries. The group was tasked with providing global scientific targets for sustainable food production and healthy diet.

The commission proposed recommendations for an average man with the average dietary calorie requirement of 2500 calories. Out of the 2500 calories, 800 calories must come from whole grain i.e. corn, wheat and rice, while 204 calories from vegetables and fruits, and fewer than 30 calories from meat (pork, lamb, beef). Additionally, it suggested an avoidance of added fat and added sugar. The report stated that the proposed diet will abate the approximately 11 million premature deaths per year worldwide as unhealthy diet is one of the leading cause of health issues.

The ideal planetary health diet is aimed at achieving the UNFCCC Paris targets to ensure sustainable food production practices. At the same time, the report has recommended to take cultural sensitivities in consideration. The planet will host 10 billion people by the end of 2050 which will put enormous strain on natural resources by the overgrowth in population. This will inevitably urge us to look for healthy alternatives for unsustainable dietary hobbits.

One of the members of the commission, a professor at Harvard, Walter Willett said that the diet of people across the globe needs to change. While the environmentally conscious diet allows two fish servings and a beef burger per week it specifies that most of the protein must come from non-meat sources. While one third of each food plate of the diet is sourced from wholegrain more than half of it comes from vegetarian sources.

Marco Springman, a commission member from Oxford University, said that the report is based on sound scientific and epidemiological evidence as researchers studied huge data about dietary needs of cohorts of people. The Lancet is one of the most reputed and prestigious medical journals in the world with an experience which exceeds a century as its first issue was published in the year 1823.

Abhishek Budholiya is a tech blogger, digital marketing pro, and has contributed to numerous tech magazines. Currently, as a technology and digital branding consultant, he offers his analysis on the tech market research landscape. His forte is analysing the commercial viability of a new breakthrough, a trait you can see in his writing. When he is not ruminating about the tech world, he can be found playing table tennis or hanging out with his friends.